


You're Gonna Be Alright

by skyprince



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Keith tries to help and ends up doing it in a nonconventional way, Lance is depressed about Allura, Tickle fic, Tickling, lee!Keith, ler!Lance, ticklish!Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 21:25:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17711843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyprince/pseuds/skyprince
Summary: Post season 8. Lance is sad, holed up in his room after what happened with Allura. He's worrying his friends and Keith decides its time to pay him visit to help him out of this rut.





	You're Gonna Be Alright

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a cute little fic from a prompt on my tumblr @ticklefits. I enjoyed writing it and I hope you guys enjoy reading! :')

“How many times have you listened to this song, Lance?”

Despite the encasing darkness of the bedroom, the same Bebe Rexha song lulling from the stereo sitting on the nearby desk and Lance's closed, strained eyes, it was easy to depict who's slightly accusatory voice played in his ears. He doesn't bother lifting his body, aching and fatigued from having been an immovable object under the covers for what felt years.

“...Don't worry about it. What're you doing here..?”

Keith scoffs lightly, having expected that sort of answer. “Don't I get a hello first?”

“You didn't give me one.”

“Fair. Rachel let me up. Told me that our sharpshooter still isn't really feeling like his old self.”

It was Lance's turn to scoff, complete with a tired roll of his eyes. Sharpshooter, huh? He sure didn't feel as cool and badass as his old nicknamed suggested he was. In fact, he probably couldn't have felt worse.

“I'm fine. Nothing to worry about.” 

It was one of the saddest lies Keith's heard Lance try on him so far and truthfully? It caused his heart to sink. Through all of their experiences, Lance was one of the people he was the most proud of. He had blossomed so much from the beginning of their journey: from a mouthy, pride-laden, overconfident amateur pilot to someone trustworthy, intelligent, and cares so much for his team. And while it took Keith awhile to really see the development of these qualities in Lance, he is definitely one of the people that's come to cherish him and appreciate what he's done for them. It's also why he's here now, taking a break from the blade's affairs in order to help his friend. Whether he wanted him to or not.

“Lance… C'mon buddy, just talk to me.” Keith takes a slow stride to the bed, settling on the edge of it gently so as not to startle or disturb Lance too much.

There’s silence and then a small sigh as Lance finally forces his drained frame to rise, just a little bit, so he can turn towards Keith and meet his gaze and what Keith witnesses only furthers his own distress. Even in the darkness ( perhaps thanks to his Galra genes ), he can clearly make out the bloodshot whites of his eyes & how dulled the sapphire color has become. There's a bit of dried drool on the side of his lips and his hair's a total mess; this is all worse than Keith could've imagined.

“--Hey…”

“There's nothing to talk about, Keith. You.. already know.”

So his suspicions were confirmed. He is still torn from what happened with Allura. “Lance… I'm so sorry about Allura, we all are. But, you're worrying people.”

“I'm… worrying people?” The tone of the query comes off a tad more .. aggressive, than Lance probably meant it to be, but he couldn't help it, not with subtle agitation already begin to bubble in his chest.

“Well, yeah -- I mean, all of us, we know you're upset about Allura, but you gotta understand that moping in your room.. in the dark.. isn't doing you or anyone else any favors. You're wallowing. And if you keep going like this, you're gonna end up.. --”

“End up like what exactly? Like  _you_  when Shiro disappeared? Obsessive and reckless and biting people's heads off? Well, newsflash Keith, I'm not like you. Besides, who're you to tell me how I should or shouldn't feel? You never stopped looking for Shiro or gave up hope that Shiro would come back, even when everything seemed lost… and in the end, you got him back. I don't get to have that luxury, you understand? I have to deal with that fact that Allura said goodbye, right in front of me! Without her… without her,  Shiro wouldn't be alive, I wouldn't be alive!”

At that point, Keith's hoisted himself from the bed, slamming a gloved palm down on the blanket that surprisingly seemed to have enlarged a bit.

“You don't think I  _know_  that, Lance?!” Keith nearly growls and Lance can swear he notices fangs elongating as he barks back at him. “Allura did so much for us, for all of us! Each and every person on Earth owes everything to her, but do you really think this is what Allura would've wanted you to feel, would've wanted you to be, about her passing?”

Okay.. now his skin's painting over itself in a shade of purple. Lavender, maybe? No, no.. too dark for that.. maybe royal purple…

“--Keith--”

“No, seriously Lance! It's not fair that me & everyone else here are trying to go about our lives, like Allura wanted us to with her sacrifice, but you just want to sit in the dark and sulk instead of being the greatness she saw in you! That we all.. see in you-- ah!”

His statement is abruptly disrupted by something of a squeaky yelp as he felt curious digits stroking at new appendages atop his head; Lance might have gotten distracted by the Galran features that have decided to show themselves during Keith's own outburst.

“.. Dude,” the brunet begins, soft awe and bewilderment replacing the anguish within oceanic sight, “when… did you start growing Galra ears?”

A sigh pulls from slightly flared nostrils, cheeks flushing as Lance's fingers refuse to rest from touching him. “It's.. not something that I can fully control. Yet. A-anyway, that's not the point he--hehehere!” A palm swiftly raised to cover his mouth, but the giggle already did the damage. Within seconds, there's a familiar sparkle of mischief glimmering in Lance's eyes, the corner of his lips perking into something of a half smile as he shifts his weight to lean further and softly tickle along the shell of ears, vibrating from the rim towards the inner tenderness. The reaction is almost instant.

“L-Lance! No, knock it ohohohoff!” Keith squirms, attempting to shove the other back and away from his sensitive ears, but Lance anticipates this and quickly swerves to avoid the hands, only to better put his own to work. He migrates between small spots that he notices gives off more prominent reactions and before he realizes it himself, he's grinning brightly and even releasing a giggle here or there.

“Keith, you feel like a  _teddy bear_ , man. This is ridiculous.” But the joy in his tone & beam of his expression is enough to keep Keith from cursing at him for teasing him like this, no matter how abashing.

“Sh-shut uhuhuhup!” He retorts, squeaking and un-intimidating despite growling underneath those words.

Wait… that's not a growl..

“Ohhh my god, you're _purring_ now too?” He is way too amused by all of this new information, but he can't deny how much fun he's having. Keith discerns this as well and though it's obviously at his own expense, he doesn't find himself in real disdain at the situation.

“Lance! Aahaa-- stop, stohohop already!” Even Keith didn't realize how ticklish his Galran ears would be… and now this goofball has that knowledge too. He can only cringe at the future ordeals this was bound to bring; however, he feels Lance's fingers start to slow and eventually, halt altogether. Blessed with a moment of fresh breath, Keith glances up towards his friend, studying his face to catch any signal of emotional relapse. He flushes with relief when Lance still bares that sweet smile of his.

“... Thanks Keith. Seriously.”

Keith's own lips lift into another smile, genuine in his subtle delight. “Don't mention it, Lance. We're a team. Always will be.”

“So, does that mean you'll let me tickle you whenever I need a pick-me-up, teammate? ‘Cause that was pretty funny.”

“Not on your life, buddy.”

It was Lance's turn to let out a laugh, soft and almost timid as it was.

“But… for real man. Allura's still here with us. Still watching over us and.. The whole universe. She'll always stay with us. You know that right..?”

Lance turns, moving to push aside the curtains of the window just above his bed, permitting illumination to wash over the both of them from a gorgeous sky painted an array of pinks and baby blues.

“Yeah... Yeah, I know.”


End file.
